...what brake booster are you running? (that clears tall valve covers)

Just a standard brake booster on mine, I have had a few different tall covers on it, but no problems.

The tall valve covers hit my stock 11" booster on my '71. Bill informed me to get a booster from a '66, as they are 9". I stopped by the parts store on the way home yesterday to get one, and they got it ordered. It will be in today or tomorrow, I'll let you know how it goes. It was only 75 bucks.

Stock booster here.
I've found that there are a few different heights of "tall" valve covers. With my Summit polished aluminum tall valve covers, (that are great by the way), I have no clearance issue. But, I've tried the Edelbrock Elite covers and they hit. So some are definitely taller than others.
Mike

I see one person has had the same issue as I....

My car still has the stock booster with a big block and tall valve covers can't even be installed.

I was starting to wonder if a booster from a G body would work...but wanted to see what some of you guys were running.....

But if the valve cover height is the real issue how tall you think I can get away with?

If you use any valve cover in a standard height, of course it will clear a stock power booster. Now if you want to use a tall cast aluminum you have to modify the corner near the booster. The cover will all most line up with the bolt holes, get it close. Then with a Sharpie, mark the area that hits the booster. Its about 3/8's to 1/2 down from the radius, both sides of the radius. Its not a big area but enough to hit. Cut out the marked area, reuse the cut out. Flip it inside out creating a clearance pocket, have it tig'd welded, add a small filler piece to seal up the area. If needed grind the weld and polish. Once its back on the engine, you will never know its been cut/modified. I did two cars this way and people are amazed how easy this is to do.

Ron Miller 92Camaro:beers:

If you use any valve cover in a standard height, of course it will clear a stock power booster. Now if you want to use a tall cast aluminum you have to modify the corner near the booster. The cover will all most line up with the bolt holes, get it close. Then with a Sharpie, mark the area that hits the booster. Its about 3/8's to 1/2 down from the radius, both sides of the radius. Its not a big area but enough to hit. Cut out the marked area, reuse the cut out. Flip it inside out creating a clearance pocket, have it tig'd welded, add a small filler piece to seal up the area. If needed grind the weld and polish. Once its back on the engine, you will never know its been cut/modified. I did two cars this way and people are amazed how easy this is to do.

Ron Miller 92Camaro:beers:

That is exactly what I did on mine. Worked great.

Stock booster here as well, it's a little on the tight side but it goes on with no trouble....

Junkyard, is there any chance that youy motor mounts may be the small block version? I think the big block mounts are a little more low profile to allow for more clearance up top. My 72 has the stock booster and the tall cover clears. Removal, even over the stud girdle is no problem. Don't really understand unless it's the mounts.

Danny

stock booster here in the 64 i got about an 8th of an inch clearence with some mr gasket cheapys!!

Stock booster on my '70.My solid engine mounts did help though,on valve cover and especially header clearance.

8" from MP power brakes. I have 5" of vacume also using thier vac. pump.

I have the Cast Chevrolet tall valve covers and the standard brake booster. I barely missed the brake booster. the only reason I am OK is because the valve covers are schanfered slighty.

Junkyard, is there any chance that youy motor mounts may be the small block version?

Does it matter which ones?

My car was an original 350 car. I reused the bottom mounts, then the top mounts I bought at Autozone p/n 2283.

Stock booster and I have two sets of them. Close but no hit.

I've got a set of cast aluminum valve covers on mine now and I've used Moroso stamped,tall,thin,leaky tall valve covers and I've used the Comp composite (quietest) valve covers all cleared the stock power booster but now its gone, manual brakes stop it fine.

i have this same problem on my 69 camaro and i am running a 7 inch duel diaphram unit now and even with the 7 inch unit i had to remove the booster to get the valve cover off to set valve lash. i went to a set of fabricated covers and they are almost 1.75 inches shorter in height than my billet tall covers . the engine isnt back in the car yet but im pretty sure the hand fabbed covers will eleviate the problem i was having.

I see one person has had the same issue as I....

My car still has the stock booster with a big block and tall valve covers can't even be installed.

I was starting to wonder if a booster from a G body would work...but wanted to see what some of you guys were running.....

But if the valve cover height is the real issue how tall you think I can get away with?

Dawg, if you want I'll send you a good working 78 Malibu vacuum booster and alum brake reservoir. I pulled them off my car when I went to a manual setup. All works well. They're free, just pay shipping. PM me if interested.

Mine used to hit. Then I picked up a dual diaphragm booster from a '79 El Camino for my '68. Now I have all the clearance I need for BB and tall covers :thumbsup:

I swapped the mounting brackets over and modified the pushrod as per a web site I found out there.

I purchased the tuff stuff 5 inch chrome booster. It works well. No problems yet with vac. I also modified the pushrod, and adjusted. It has worked well with my set up.

Stock booster with Moroso Tall valve covers to clear the roller rockers. Have about a half inch clearance

Hi, just finished installing brand new 454 in my 1970 ss 454, had the tall valve covers put on new motor and when we went to put the motor in the car we only had about 1/4 in clearence so we went to a chrome 7 inch booster. This way we get max clearence and looks.
will sent pics

[QUOTE=Junkyard Dawg;1258684]Does it matter which ones?

Dawg, maybe it doesn't matter on these mounts. I just looked up the part #s here at CarQuest and they are the same for BB and SB. Maybe the saddle bracket that bolts to the engine is taller. It just seems like I can remember there being height difference on the two, but I might be thinking about the Camaros we used to run. Sorry for the bad info. I've got solid mounts, so maybe I'm the one with the altered position. But for what ever reason, there is plenty of clearance on mine. Good luck.

Danny

I'm using a Master Power 8" booster on my '69 El Camino.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v325/steve69ss396/382289_85_full.jpg

Here's a few pics I just snapped....

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j312/djw69Nova/chevelle031.jpg

This is how close they sit together....the plug wires are resting on the very edge of the valve cover....

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j312/djw69Nova/chevelle032.jpg

Here's the whole engine bay....:yes:

thats pretty close . mine in my camaro with a 7 inch booster was so close i had to fold over one of the tab locks on the booster to make it fit. if it was still in the car id snap some pic,s for you . i went to a fabricated valve cover over my billet tal ones and im quite positive i wont have that issue anymore. there is like a whole inch diffrence in covers as the fabbed ones angle downward and are not quite as high.
fabbed covers can cost alot but i have seen some fabbed covers on ebay quite alot that are brand new with small scuff marks that sell for like 145. might look to ebay for some big block fabbed covers for a pair that are acceptable to you and get them at a good price. im sure it would free up at least an inch of room. i can show you the difffrence in cover height and shape with a pic if you would like. just let me know and i will go out and snap one for you..

Sure....I appreciate anything that's helpful.

you can see the height and shape diffrence across the top and the angle at wich the fabbed covers slant . im sure i will have plenty of room now . my cover almost rested on the booster when i had a 8 inch on it . now i have a 7 inch duel diaphram that runs on a stand alone ssbc electric vacuum punmp at 21 inches 12/1/4 inch rotors with wilwood 4 piston calipers. if i step on the pedal it will through you right into the windshield so the 7 inch unit works really well. i got the booster from CCP for like 150 bucks . like i said you can find fabbed covers brand new on ebay for like 145 wich is a nice price compared to what mine costed. hope the pic,s help. click to enlarge.

also the billet covers might have maybe 1/6 of an inch if that in thickness over the steel ones wich isnt much .

are there any clearance problems with tall covers on the AC evaporator side.

bbpwr I was wondering if the smaller power boosters worked any better than the larger ones......?

A hydroboost will give plenty of clearance. I have one on my BB 69 Camaro with the tall GM bowtie covers.
It also makes spark plug and header bolt access much easier.

I have not been able to tell a different between the original big booster and the dual diaphragm version I converted to. Both have about the same feel.

Although the hydroboost IS the cat's meow. I have that system on my daily driver and love it.

im gonna say its a toss up. i used to have a 12 incher like yours when i had the blown 383 small block in the camaro wich at the time had the stock front disc breaks and if i hit the breaks it was a rather quick stop. i was concerned with the way the breaks would work with the 7 inch booster i can honestly say i cant really say there is much diffrence between the 7 and the 12. i came to the idea of a smaller booster from a friend who purchased a camaro with alot of custom ad ons and one was a 5 inch booster and a break vacuum pump from a gm cavalier and his breaks were awsome . so when it came time to re think my system i went with a 7 and the electric pump from ssbc. no complaints so far .

turbodaryl. i cant say about the ac box as my camaro dosent have a/c my 70 chevele malibu does and my small block are pretty close to the ac box now 2-3 inches or less away . its hard to say for checking this you might want to get some cheapo covers at a swap meet or maybe a buddy has some he can loan to you.

ya know back when i started to set this up the hydra boost wasnt yet avaliable to the market the way it is now. wish i had one myself the hydra boost seems like a nice unit..

ya know back when i started to set this up the hydra boost wasnt yet avaliable to the market the way it is now. wish i had one myself the hydra boost seems like a nice unit..


Sad how a set of roller rockers turns into rockers+valve covers+hydroboost+PS pump.

Sad how a set of roller rockers turns into rockers+valve covers+hydroboost+PS pump.

this post started as a tall valve cover issue based on clerance from the brake booster and the valve covers i think this individual got lost or mis read the entire post there is no mention of powersteering in this post other than by you and the hydra boost came into play as it runs off the powersteering unit to apply pressure in place of the brake booster thus eleiviating the need for a brake booster alltogether. as for your quote on me im lost there also . its sad when someone can misread a post then try to clown based on his understanding of what he read. read the post header it sasy big block guys with tall valve covers. nothing to do with roller rockers or powersteering . and when the mention of the hydra boost unit was made it was quite clear to the rest of us that in its mention that with that system there is no need for a booster and that with that system there is no booster we all understood where did you get lost or confused. ? HMMM now i dont like to bash on anyone but your ad to this thread was a useless waste of space. :clonk:

A hydroboost will give plenty of clearance.

You are correct and it would work especially for me as I have a pretty low vacuum signal due to a long duration cam....but $450 + for a power brake booster right now is kind of an overkill...

this post started as a tall valve cover issue based on clerance from the brake booster and the valve covers i think this individual got lost or mis read the entire post there is no mention of powersteering in this post other than by you and the hydra boost came into play as it runs off the powersteering unit to apply pressure in place of the brake booster thus eleiviating the need for a brake booster alltogether. as for your quote on me im lost there also . its sad when someone can misread a post then try to clown based on his understanding of what he read. read the post header it sasy big block guys with tall valve covers. nothing to do with roller rockers or powersteering . and when the mention of the hydra boost unit was made it was quite clear to the rest of us that in its mention that with that system there is no need for a booster and that with that system there is no booster we all understood where did you get lost or confused. ? HMMM now i dont like to bash on anyone but your ad to this thread was a useless waste of space. :clonk:


Dang this is nice.:confused:

Actually its all connected. You buy rollers rockers, they come with poly locks, valve covers don't fit. Tall valve covers are bought to clear the rockers, but don't clear the brake booster. A hydroboost unit was purchased to get the clearance. Hydroboost requires a better PS pump than what came on the car.

My waste of space post was commentary on our hobby, and how a seemingly simple upgrade can balloon into an expensive upgrade affecting much more than the engine.

I got it Efi... perhaps it was the quotation that set him off?

For inexpensive, it is pretty hard to beat the junkyard booster solution Dawg :)

I suspect you can do hydroboost for a lot less than the kits out there too, if you go shopping at the junkyard. The hydroboost has been used on trucks for quite awhile and on Ford Mustangs since 1999 or earlier. Lord only knows that Ford sold enough of *those* and that they do suffer a noteable mortality rate. The hydroboost units are fairly common on Ebay as well. The hard part is the hoses required. High pressure hoses DO tend to be a bit costly. But then again it can probably be done cheaper than the steel braid hose all the kits use.

If you want to go way outside the box... there was an electric booster unit in use for awhile. I was going to go that way at one time and even picked up a rebuilt unit off of Ebay. Then I changed my mind, decided I did not want to run the wires.